Informational enrichment for interactive systems

ABSTRACT

Interactive services are enhanced by intercepting, in a telecommunications network, a session initiation protocol message used to initiate a communication. The session initiation protocol message is intercepted prior to terminating at a recipient computer configured to provide interactive services for the communication. Based on predetermined rules, supplemental information is determined to provide to the recipient computer of the communication. The supplemental information is inserted into the session initiation protocol message prior to the terminating at the recipient computer. The session initiation protocol message with the supplemental information is routed to the recipient computer that provides the interactive services for the communication. The interactive services are provided based at least in part on the supplemental information.

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 14/483,874, filed Sep. 11, 2014, the contents of which are expresslyincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to the field of interactive responsesystems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates todynamically provisioning interactive response systems usingcommunication initiation messaging.

2. Background Information

Enterprise call centers today may offer multiple channels tocustomers/callers for communication needs. Most customers/callers to acall center today still go through an interactive voice response (IVR)system to provide information such as identity, account number and thepurpose of the call. Conventional IVR systems use a predefined staticflow to prompt customers/callers with prerecorded questions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary general computer system that includes a set ofinstructions for informational enrichment for interactive systems;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows another exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows another exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows another exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary communication flow for informationalenrichment for interactive systems, according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary system for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure,and

FIG. 12 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure, through one or more ofits various aspects, embodiments and/or specific features orsub-components, is thus intended to bring out one or more of theadvantages as specifically noted below.

Methods described herein are illustrative examples, and as such are notintended to require or imply that any particular process of anyembodiment be performed in the order presented. Words such as“thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intended to limit the orderof the processes, and these words are instead used to guide the readerthrough the description of the methods. Further, any reference to claimelements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an” or“the”, is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative embodiment of a general computer system, onwhich a method of informational enrichment for interactive systems canbe implemented, and which is shown and is designated 100. The computersystem 100 can include a set of instructions that can be executed tocause the computer system 100 to perform any one or more of the methodsor computer based functions disclosed herein. The computer system 100may operate as a standalone device or may be connected, for example,using a network 101, to other computer systems or peripheral devices.

In a networked deployment, the computer system 100 may operate in thecapacity of a server or as a client user computer in a server-clientuser network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer-to-peer(or distributed) network environment. The computer system 100 can alsobe implemented as or incorporated into various devices, such as an callinterceptor, an IVR, a context manager, an enrichment sub-system, amessage generator, a message distributor, a rule engine, an IVR server,an interface server, a record generator, a data interface, afilter/enhancer, a script engine, a PBX, stationary computer, a mobilecomputer, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, a wireless smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), aglobal positioning satellite (GPS) device, a communication device, acontrol system, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, aweb server, or any other machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine. The computer system 100 can be incorporated as or in aparticular device that in turn is in an integrated system that includesadditional devices. In a particular embodiment, the computer system 100can be implemented using electronic devices that provide voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single computer system 100 isillustrated, the term “system” shall also be taken to include anycollection of systems or sub-systems that individually or jointlyexecute a set, or multiple sets, of instructions to perform one or morecomputer functions.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computer system 100 includes a processor110. A processor for a computer system 100 is tangible andnon-transitory. As used herein, the term “non-transitory” is to beinterpreted not as an eternal characteristic of a state, but as acharacteristic of a state that will last for a period of time. The term“non-transitory” specifically disavows fleeting characteristics such ascharacteristics of a particular carrier wave or signal or other formsthat exist only transitorily in any place at any time. A processor is anarticle of manufacture and/or a machine component. A processor for acomputer system 100 is configured to execute software instructions inorder to perform functions as described in the various embodimentsherein. A processor for a computer system 100 may be a general purposeprocessor or may be part of an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC). A processor for a computer system 100 may also be amicroprocessor, a microcomputer, a processor chip, a controller, amicrocontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a state machine, or aprogrammable logic device. A processor for a computer system 100 mayalso be a logical circuit, including a programmable gate array (PGA)such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or another type ofcircuit that includes discrete gate and/or transistor logic. A processorfor a computer system 100 may be a central processing unit (CPU), agraphics processing unit (GPU), or both. Additionally, any processordescribed herein may include multiple processors, parallel processors,or both. Multiple processors may be included in, or coupled to, a singledevice or multiple devices.

Moreover, the computer system 100 includes a main memory 120 and astatic memory 130 that can communicate with each other via a bus 108.Memories described herein are tangible storage mediums that can storedata and executable instructions, and are non-transitory during the timeinstructions are stored therein. As used herein, the term“non-transitory” is to be interpreted not as an eternal characteristicof a state, but as a characteristic of a state that will last for aperiod of time. The term “non-transitory” specifically disavows fleetingcharacteristics such as characteristics of a particular carrier wave orsignal or other forms that exist only transitorily in any place at anytime. A memory describe herein is an article of manufacture and/ormachine component. Memories described herein are computer-readablemediums from which data and executable instructions can be read by acomputer. Memories as described herein may be random access memory(RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, electrically programmableread only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, tape, compactdisk read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), floppydisk, blu-ray disk, or any other form of storage medium known in theart. Memories may be volatile or non-volatile, secure and/or encrypted,unsecure and/or unencrypted.

As shown, the computer system 100 may further include a video displayunit 150, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic lightemitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, or acathode ray tube (CRT). Additionally, the computer system 100 mayinclude an input device 160, such as a keyboard/virtual keyboard ortouch-sensitive input screen or speech input with speech recognition,and a cursor control device 170, such as a mouse or touch-sensitiveinput screen or pad. The computer system 100 can also include a diskdrive unit 180, a signal generation device 190, such as a speaker orremote control, and a network interface device 140.

In a particular embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 1, the disk drive unit180 may include a computer-readable medium 182 in which one or more setsof instructions 184, e.g. software, can be embedded. Sets ofinstructions 184 can be read from the computer-readable medium 182.Further, the instructions 184, when executed by a processor, can be usedto perform one or more of the methods and processes as described herein.In a particular embodiment, the instructions 184 may reside completely,or at least partially, within the main memory 120, the static memory130, and/or within the processor 110 during execution by the computersystem 100.

In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations, suchas application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logicarrays and other hardware components, can be constructed to implementone or more of the methods described herein. One or more embodimentsdescribed herein may implement functions using two or more specificinterconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and datasignals that can be conmmunicated between and through the modules.Accordingly, the present disclosure encompasses software, firmware, andhardware implementations. Nothing in the present application should beinterpreted as being implemented or implementable solely with softwareand not hardware such as a tangible non-transitory processor and/ormemory.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein may be implemented using a hardware computersystem that executes software programs. Further, in an exemplary,non-limited embodiment, implementations can include distributedprocessing, component/object distributed processing, and parallelprocessing. Virtual computer system processing can be constructed toimplement one or more of the methods or functionality as describedherein, and a processor described herein may be used to support avirtual processing environment.

The present disclosure contemplates a computer-readable medium 182 thatincludes instructions 184 or receives and executes instructions 184responsive to a propagated signal; so that a device connected to anetwork 101 can communicate voice, video or data over the network 101.Further, the instructions 184 may be transmitted or received over thenetwork 101 via the network interface device 140.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling communication protocolused in communication networks to initiate and control communicationsessions. Session initiation protocol messages can be used to initiateand control communication sessions such as voice and video calls overInternet Protocol (IP) networks. Communications that can be initiatedusing session initiation protocol include, but are not limited to,internet conferencing, telephony and instant messaging sessions.Communication services that can be provided using session initiationprotocol include interactive services such as IVR services.

Session initiation protocol defines messages that are sent betweenendpoints such as a user device and an interactive system such as an IVRsystem in order to, for example, initiate or terminate a communicationbetween the endpoints. A session initiation protocol message is used toinitiate a communication to visit an address, such as when a user typesin a web-site's URL. Session initiation protocol also provides for othermessages as described herein, including messages to indicate an end tocommunications, or that a destination is being run, or acknowledgements.In the description herein, headers in session initiation protocolmessages are typically where supplemental data is inserted after thesession initiation protocol messages are intercepted.

In the present disclosure, a session initiation protocol message is sentto initiate a communication with a system that provides interactiveservices, such as an IVR system. A standard session initiation protocolmessage can be used in a conventional manner while also using thesession initiation protocol message in the manner described herein.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.In FIG. 2, an overview is provided for a network that includes a sessioninitiation protocol enrichment sub-system 220, a situational-aware IVR230, and a contact context manager 240. As described herein, a sessioninitiation protocol message can be intercepted by the session initiationprotocol enrichment sub-system 220 before reaching a recipient systemsuch as a situational-aware IVR 230. Further, even after a communicationis set up based on the session initiation protocol message reaching thesituational-aware IVR 230, additional context information can beprovided from the contact context manager 240. Thus, context informationcan be provided both before a communication is set-up and after thecommunication begins.

In FIG. 2, landline or mobile access is provided for users tocommunicate via a carrier VoIP network 201. The carrier network 201 mayof course be a different kind of communication network such as acellular network, a conventional public switched telephone network oradvanced intelligent network, a cable network and so on. Additionally, acombination of different kinds of networks may be used instead of aparticular carrier voice over internet protocol network.

The voice over internet protocol network 201 is representative of amodern telecommunication carrier network. Such modern telecommunicationnetworks may include legacy service control points from the legacyadvance intelligent network, or may include more modern alternativemessaging controllers. Session initiation protocol messages may betransmitted through a stand-alone messaging network used to control atelecommunication carrier network, or may be transmitted through thesame data network that is used to carry, e.g., voice communication, overa telecommunication carrier network. Additionally, while sessioninitiation protocol has been in use for a time, any alternative messageswith a similar purpose and function of initiating communication can beused in the same manner as session initiation protocol messages.

Additionally, although not shown for every embodiment, an automated calldistributor (ACD) may be used to distribute calls for both concentratedand distributed call centers. An automated call distributor may serve asan interface between the internet protocol network 201 and a call centerthat includes the situational-aware IVR 230.

The communication from a user begins with a session initiation protocolmessage that is intercepted in the carrier voice over internet protocolnetwork. The session initiation protocol message is provided to thesession initiation protocol enrichment sub-system 220 where the sessioninitiation protocol message is parsed and context information isinserted before the session initiation protocol message is returned tothe carrier voice over internet protocol network 201 to complete theroute to the situational-aware IVR 230. At the situational-aware IVR230, an IVR server 233 is used to provide interactive services to theuser across the carrier voice over internet protocol network 201. Thecommunications between a user and any IVR described herein arebidirectional, wherein speech may be both sent and receivedsimultaneously by the user and IVR. A conventional IVR providesinteractive services using a predetermined hierarchical script in whichsequential prompts are varied based on each input or lack of input by auser. As an example, a particular script is conventionally selectedbased on a telephone number dialed by a user. The situational-aware IVR230 however selects a script in part based on the context informationprovided via the session initiation protocol enrichment sub-system 220.

The IVR server 233 interacts with the user based on rules provided by anIVR rules engine 236. The IVR rules engine 236 analyzes contextinformation provided via the session initiation protocol message andeither alters the selection of a script or varies the prompts in ascript based on the context information rather than only on anyparticular input provided by the user. Variations to a script caninclude additions or deletions of prompts, rearrangement of an order inwhich prompts are played, creation of an entirely new and even uniqueprompt to play first to a user before presenting any list in a script,or other forms of variations to a script.

As described herein, the IVR rules engine 236 also receives informationfrom other sources that help to determine whether and when to alter theselection of a script or vary the prompts in a particular script. Inthis regard, the IVR rules engine 236 receives input from the contactcontext manager 240, which in turn receives application protocolinterfaces from carrier voice over internet protocol provider analytics250 and from enterprise call center internal customer data/businessprocesses 270.

The enterprise call center internal customer data/business processes 270is provided via a system that also includes existing customer profiledatabase 260. In this way, an entity that has information about itsexisting or new customers, including billing, assurance and orderinformation, as well as profile information for a person holding anaccount, can identify relevant pre-existing information from the accountto provide to the contact context manager 240. Profile information mayinclude demographic information that is descriptive of the partyinitiating the communication, such as name, age, race, gender, income,credit, home address, marital status, and so on. Billing information mayinclude information such as whether a customer is behind on a bill, orwhether the customer has disputed a particular charge. Order informationmay include information on open and completed orders.

The carrier voice over internet protocol provider analytics 250 mayinclude analytic information determined from analysis of communicationsplaced only to the situational-aware IVR 230, or to a series of IVRsincluding the situational-aware IVR 230. The analytics 250 may also bebased on analysis of a particular predetermined hierarchical script, orbased on numerous hierarchical scripts. Analytics information derivedfrom analyzing the calls involving the IVRs and scripts is provided tothe contact context manager 240 for use in helping the contact contextmanager decide what information is particularly relevant to theparticular call for the particular communication initiated using thesession initiation protocol message.

As described, the enterprise call center internal customer data andbusiness processes 270 and the existing customer profile database 260are used to facilitate operations for the situational-aware IVR 230 aswell as to facilitate provisioning contextual data for the contactcontext manager 240. Additionally, the carrier voice over internetprotocol provider analytics 250 are also used to provide context andgeneralized analysis results for customer data to the contact contextmanager 240. Context information may include many different types ofdata including basic information such as caller profile information,location, subscription information, known preferences, and informationsuggestive of a reason the caller may be calling.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, context information may also be providedfrom other sources, including desktops applications installed on auser's customer equipment and dedicated to customer care services of thesort provided also by the situational-aware IVR 230. Such desktopapplications are in use today, and can be used in the same or a similarmanner as social network applications and other 3rd party systems thatmay contain useful information that may help resolve any problemsleading to a caller calling the situational-aware IVR 230.

Contextual information may include information available implicitly fromcalls automatically, such as a caller's phone number, a location of acaller, and information derivable from the caller's phone number andlocation. Additionally, explicit contextual information may be obtainedby asking the caller directly, or by searching known data storesincluding customer information for a business entity that provides anIVR system. This explicit information may include account numbers, phonenumbers different from the calling phone number, pass code, script menuselections, account subscription information, information from socialnetworks, trouble status for existing trouble tickets, support and orderstatus for existing orders, outage information that the caller may becalling about and so on. Outage information may be based on previousreports from other customers or company personnel, or may be based onproactive line testing performed based on the caller initiating thecall. Contextual information may also be derived contextual informationobtained based on applying implicit and explicit attributes based onrules or using models. Derived contextual information can includecontextual data that does not already exist, such as predicted usageinformation or a prediction of a service that is to be offered to acaller. Derived contextual information may also include Big Dataanalytic results derived from analyzing large amounts of information fora large group of people with similar demographic characteristics to thecaller. Big Data analytics may be provided from the entity that providesthe IVR system, may be provided by the telecommunication carrier thatcarries the communication to the entity that provides the IVR system, ormay be provided by a 3rd party analytic firm.

FIG. 3 shows another exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.In FIG. 3, an incoming session initiation protocol message isintercepted in a carrier voice over internet protocol network 301 on theway to a situational-aware IVR 330, and redirected to a SIP enrichmentsub-system 320. The SIP enrichment sub-system 320 includes a callinterceptor and SIP message processor 321, a SIP rule engine 322, a VoIPprovider subscriber database 325, a SIP message generator 323, and anenriched SIP message distributor 324.

Interception as described herein may be accomplished by having a callednumber or other form of communication address or recipient informationregistered in a line information database or equivalent, such as aservice control point or equivalent for VoIP networks. For example, ifan enterprise decides to use the session initiation protocolinterception described herein for contextual data supplements, theenterprise can pre-register the called number of other form ofcommunication address or recipient information registered in thedatabase. A session initiation protocol invite message can be used tovalidate the communication address or other information to confirm theregistration in the database. If registered, the invite message will beintercepted.

Also, to avoid possible privacy issues, a caller can be given an optionto opt-in to a contextual enhancement feature at subscription, so that acaller's contextual information is not provided without the caller'spermission. This opt-in may be provided for all contextual information,or only a limited set of contextual information that may be particularlysensitive. The opt-in may also be provided as a per-call option for thecaller to opt-in in order to help the caller save time. Alternatively, asubscriber may be informed of a contextual enhancement feature via textso that the subscriber can respond on a one-time, trial, or limited-timebasis. The subscriber can also be asked audibly when the reach theself-service portion of an interactive service.

As noted, a destination address may be something other than a 10 digitalphone number, such as when network address translation is not used. Forexample, a destination internet protocol address may be used for theinterception address registered as the destination address in thedatabase.

The call interceptor and SIP message processor 321 intercepts a SIPmessage in the carrier VoIP network 301, or receives an interceptedmessage intercepted by a specially-modified router in the carrier VoIPnetwork 301. The call interceptor and SIP message processor checks withthe SIP rule engine 322 to identify rules associated with the caller forwhich the session initiation protocol message is being sent. The SIPrule engine 322 checks the VoIP provider subscriber database 325 forrules associated with the particular caller, retrieves the rules and/orinformation based on the rules, and provides the rules and/orinformation based on the rules back to the call interceptor and SIPmessage processor 321. The call interceptor and SIP message processor321 provides the rules and/or information based on the rules to the SIPmessage generator 323. The SIP message generator 323 generates a newsession initiation protocol message based on the previous sessioninitiation protocol message but with contextual information insertedinto the header.

If the contextual information cannot be fitted to the header of thesession initiation protocol message, the header may be provided with aBoolean or other form of code to show that contextual information isembedded into the session initiation protocol message body. Theinformation embedded in the message body can include but is not limitedto (a) all contextual information such as location or environmentalinformation, (b) or a uniform resource locator that points to aretrievable address that the contact context manager 340 can use toretrieve all contextual information one time or continuously.

The session initiation protocol message generated by the SIP messagegenerator 323 may be an update to the intercepted session initiationprotocol message, or may be a newly assembled session initiationprotocol message. Additionally, the information inserted into the headerof the session initiation protocol message may be a specific rule fromthe SIP rule engine 322, information obtained based on a rule from theVoIP provider subscriber database 325 or other information includingencoded message that is encoded so as to fit into the session initiationprotocol message header. When encoded, the information may be encoded bythe SIP message generator 323, by the call interceptor and SIP messageprocessor 321, or by the SIP rule engine 322.

The modified session initiation protocol message is provided back to thecarrier VoIP network 301, which then forwards the modified (enriched)session initiation protocol message to the situational-aware IVR 330.The situational-aware IVR 330 includes an IVR server 333 and an IVRrules engine 336. The IVR server 333 agrees to accept the incoming calland sets up the incoming call for processing, and the IVR rules engine336 identifies a script to use and any appropriate modifications to maketo the script based on the information provided in the header of themodified (enriched) session initiation protocol message.

The information inserted into the modified (enriched) session initiationprotocol message is supplemental to any information that isautomatically already provided with a call or any information that isvoluntarily provided later by the user making the call. Thus, theinserted information is supplemental, and the session initiationprotocol message is enhanced with the inserted supplemental information.The information inserted into the session initiation protocol messagemay be one or more pieces of demographic information descriptive of theuser, location information descriptive of a location of the user, oreven information that summarizes in some way previous interactions withthe user. A summary of previous interactions may be as simple asinformation that notes the user has an ongoing complaint with the entitythat provides the situational-aware IVR 330.

Though not fully described yet for this embodiment, the contact contextmanager 340 also provides contextual information to the IVR rules engine336. The additional contextual information can be provided from carrierVoIP provider analytics 350 via application program interfaces (APIs),can be from customer profile information for existing customer profiles360, or can be from enterprise call center internal customerdata/business processes 370.

In an embodiment, contextual information may be continuously updatedbased on caller movements when the caller is using a mobilecommunication device such as a smart phone. For example, contextualinformation may provide a specific location for the caller, nearbystores or businesses, upcoming roads and detours when in a car, and soon.

It should also be noted here that callers may also provide explicitcontextual information via their communication device, such as byproviding a caller's actual telephone number when the caller is usingsomeone else's phone to place a call. The caller's actual telephonenumber may be inserted into the session initiation protocol messagealong with an account number or identifier provided explicitly by thecaller. The session initiation protocol message can then carry theinformation provided explicitly by the caller to be ready for use by theIVR system in preparing for interactions.

As described, the SIP enrichment sub-system 320 uses implicit contextualinformation available from the VoIP provider to enrich an informationmanagement system (IMS) session initiation protocol message fortransferring the implicit context data to the situational-aware IVR 330.However, the modified (enriched) session initiation protocol message maybe provided to the contact context manager 340 through thesituational-aware IVR 330, so that the contact context manager managesall contextual information to be used by the IVR rules engine 336 inselecting or modifying a script.

Additionally, the SIP enrichment sub-system 320 is described as usingexisting internal information and rules from, e.g., the VoIP providersubscriber database 325 in order to obtain the contextual information toprovide with the modified (enriched) session initiation protocolmessage. However, the SIP enrichment sub-system 320 may interact withmultiple contextual data sources, including location servers, productdatabases, purchase record databases and so on, to create a data objectto insert into the session initiation protocol message header.

FIG. 4 shows another exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.In FIG. 4, an incoming session initiation protocol message for a call iscarried across a carrier VoIP network 401 and intercepted by or for aSIP enrichment sub-system 420. The SIP enrichment sub-system 420operates in the same manner as the SIP enrichment sub-system 320 in theembodiment of FIG. 3.

When the modified (enriched) session initiation protocol message isreturned to the carrier VoIP network 401, it is passed through to theoriginal destination which is a situational-aware IVR 430. Thesituational-aware IVR 430 includes an IVR server 433 and an IVR rulesengine 436, each of which operate in the same manner as the IVR server333 and IVR rules engine 336 in the embodiment of FIG. 3.

The situational-aware IVR 430 relies on a contact context manager 440 tomanage contextual information, both from the session initiation protocolmessage and from other sources, in the embodiment of FIG. 4. As anexample, the contact context manager 440 may receive APIs from carrierVoIP provider analytics 450. The APIs provide analytics informationreflective of and based on analysis of large volumes of information. Theanalyzed information may be information limited to the particularcaller, such as studies of numerous calls by the caller or others usingthe caller's account, information related to people with one or moredemographic characteristics similar to the caller, or informationrelated to people with habits, such as purchase histories, similar tothe caller.

Additionally, enterprise call center internal customer data businessprocesses 470 and existing customer profile 460 may be used to provideinformation to the contact context manager 440. The contextualinformation is provided to a context contact manager (CCM) datainterface 441, which in turn provides the contextual information to aCCM database 443. A CCM information filter/enhancer 448 filters thecontextual information to a limited amount determined most likely to beuseful to incoming call. A context record generator 445 may piece thevarious filtered and/or enhanced contextual information into a contextrecord, and interact with a CCM IVR interface server 446 to provide thecontext information to the situational-aware IVR 430 so that aparticular script can be selected or modified based on the contextualinformation. The CCM information filter/enhancer 448 may filter thecontextual information provided by eliminating information deemed mostlikely to not be relevant to an incoming call. The CCM informationfilter/enhancer 448 may also enhance the contextual information providedby supplementing the contextual information to “fill in the blanks” orby combining pieces of otherwise disparate contextual information toform a more complete contextual record that may be relevant to theincoming call.

As an example, contextual information may show that a caller hasrecently purchased and activated a smart phone on a particular wirelesscarrier, and that the caller has an existing complaint with anotherwireless carrier. When the existing wireless carrier receives thesedisparate pieces of contextual information, the existing wirelesscarrier may “guess” that the incoming call is to cancel the existingservice. A particular prompt may be added to a script by thesituational-aware IVR 430 to ask if the caller would like informationabout how to cancel service.

In another example, contextual information may show that a callercalling a car company number has a particular car from the car company,and may show that a particular recall was just issued for the car. Inthis way, a caller calling even a general help or information line forthe car company may be presented with a prompt asking if the callerwould like information about a recent recall that may affect theparticular car owned by the caller.

In still another example, contextual information may show that acaller's close family member has an upcoming birthday. When the calleris calling a type of business that caters to a demographic group thatincludes the close family member, the business may modify a script toask the caller up-front whether the caller is searching for a gift forthe upcoming birthday. In other examples, a business that caters toparticular religious groups or ethnic groups or income groups maydetermine that a caller or a close family member of the caller belongsto the particular group, and may be interested in purchasing an item foran upcoming holiday or other observable date. In still other examples,an entity such as a ticket brokering service may identify contextualinformation such as concerts previously attended by the caller, orartists “liked” by the caller on a social network, and check forupcoming concerts in the area of the caller by such artists. In all ofthese instances, a script is selected or modified, based on thecontextual information as described herein.

Although not detailed thoroughly, the SIP enrichment sub-system 420 mayprovide contextual information directly to the contact context manager440. In this case, the information provided by the SIP enrichmentsub-system 420 may be supplemental to the information provided in thesession initiation protocol message, or may be alternative to providingthe contextual information in the session initiation protocol message.

As noted previously, the header of a session initiation protocol messagemay be provided with a Boolean or other form of code to point thecontact context manager to the session initiation protocol message bodyfor contextual information. The contextual information may then beembedded in the message body, or may be pointed to yet another locationvia a uniform resource locator or other type of communication addressthat points to a location from which the contact context manager 440 canretrieve all contextual information, either one time or continuously.

The situational-aware IVR 430 explained in detail with respect to FIG. 4may be a carrier-class IVR system that enables the deployment of a widerange of intelligent IVRs. The situational-aware IVR 430 may usecontextual data to improve customer experiences and reduce call volumesto call centers. Situational awareness generally refers to thecollection and use of information relevant to an IVR caller interaction,including information identified before the interaction begins. Therelevant contextual information is used to select, modify, update, orotherwise enrich the content and flow of an interaction to improve thequality and duration of the interaction. Therefore, thesituational-aware IVR 430 is generally representative of an IVR thatknows what's going on with and around a caller.

The situational-aware IVR 430 may support standard IVR functions and canbe integrated with external information systems using APIs, as notedwith respect to several embodiments herein. The situational-aware IVR430 enables the creation also of customized self-service functions likepayment and balance inquiries, services activation or deactivation,subscriber service problem management, notifications, and otherself-service functions. The situational-aware IVR 430 may be enabled byobtaining, identifying and using relevant contextual information via arule-based menu structure based on the needs of each self-servicefunction.

As another example of how a situational-aware IVR 430 may work, agrocery store or other establishment may include a pharmacy thatdispenses prescription medications. A particular caller to a number forthe pharmacy may always or usually call for refills for a particularmedication. The particular caller may always or usually call from thesame smart phone. The particular caller may always or usually providethe same call-back number. In this example, when the situational-awareIVR 430 recognizes a call from the particular caller, thesituational-aware IVR 430 may be informed that a particular prescriptionis due for a refill soon. Accordingly, a script may be modified to askthe caller as the first item whether the caller is calling to request arefill for a particular prescription due to be refilled. If the callerresponds in the affirmative, all of the other necessary information maybe presented to the user and the user may be asked to simply statewhether any of the other information is incorrect. In this way, acaller's processing time may be greatly reduced in comparison to whatthe caller previously experiences.

Additionally, as is known, session initiation protocol messages that canbe used herein are not limited to an initial INVITE message, but canalso be acknowledgement (ACK) message, OK messages, BYE messages, or anyof the other various functional messages that are known. Such sessioninitiation protocol messages may be used both to send messages from auser device, and to send messages to a user device. Any such sessioninitiation protocol message should have a header into which supplementalenhancement information can be inserted for extraction by the recipient.

As described above, the contact context manager 440 captures importantcustomer information from both internal and external sources to generatea context record for the customer. This data will be used to improve thequality of customer interaction. The contact context manager 440 canalso communicate with an enterprise contact center's backend businessprocesses to enable the caller to conduct various important functions ina self-service mode.

The contact context manager 440 includes a contact context manager datainterface 441 that receives data from a telecommunication VoIP carrierand contact center internal databases. Additionally, the contact contextmanager database 443 contains relevant customer data including contextdata. The contact context manger information filter/enhancer 448 has twofunctions, i.e., to filter irrelevant data to generate a context record,and to update and enhance context record parameters based on inquiriesfrom the IVR rules engine 436. Updates and enhancements may be based onnew information received from customer IVR interactions that cause theIVR rules engine 436 to ask for more customer data.

The context record generator 445 generates a context record to forwardto the situational-aware IVR 430. Such a context record includes a setof parameter determined relevant to the caller and the particular call.Such a context record may be dynamically identified based on the receiptof the session initiation protocol message and the following call.Parameters of a context record may be updated based on new data receivedform network and or a customer.

A context record may contain important contextual data to be provided toa situational-aware IVR, such as the situational-aware IVR 430. Acontext record may be generated initially independent of a callerattempting to contact the call center, such as when a customer firstenrolls for service or makes a purchase from a company that provides thesituational-aware IVR 430. The context record may be saved in thecontact context manager. The context record can be updated uponreceiving information from the interactions between thesituational-aware IVR 430 and the customer/caller.

A context record can include major events (MEs), including majoroutages, unresolved issues, pending orders, previous unresolved billingissues, and weather related problems. Major events can be used asimportant context data to understand if the call is related to any ofthese or other types of important events. A context record may alsoinclude context record parameters. A context record is parameterizedbased on important contextual data. Some parameters can be updated whennew information is received from the interactions.

A context record can also include social/partnering company parameters.These kinds of parameters can be provided from accessible third partyinteractions, and may be obtained when a user selects an option-inchoice for enabling access to the contextual data collaboration. In sucha case, a context record can include a social network profile,preferences, and behavior clues, such as information that can beobtained from an online social network with permission from the caller.Partner companies may also include third-party data collection companiesthat compile profiles from many sources, such as from credit cardcompanies that track purchases or credit events, social networkcompanies that track social network usage, criminal historyinvestigation companies that maintain databases of criminal recordinformation, government databases that reflect information such as homeownership, marital status and tax compliance. Third-party datacollection companies may maintain profiles of users as a business, andmake the profiles available on demand for a fee or as part of asubscription service. Therefore, a contact context manager may evenselectively determine when to request a profile from a third partyservice that maintains profile, such as when the contact context managerrecognizes that the caller is a new customer for which littleinformation is otherwise available.

A context record may also include location and related parameters,including a current location and location history, locationenvironmental information such as temperature, noise level, motion, andavailable/unavailable channels for communications. Environmentalinformation may also include information such as snow and rain amountsthat have occurred, are occurring, or are expected to occur.

The contact context manager IVR interface server 446 is responsible forsending and receiving data in real time to and from thesituational-aware IVR 430. The contact context manager IVR interfaceserver 446 can communicate directly with the situational-aware IVR 430to send context data and to receive inquires for new context data orupdate.

FIG. 5 shows another exemplary network for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.As shown in FIG. 5, an incoming session initiation protocol message iscarried across a carrier VoIP network 501, intercepted by a SIPenrichment sub-system 520, enriched and then returned to a carrier VoIPnetwork 501. The enriched SIP message is then transmitted to asituational-aware IVR 530. In FIG. 5, the situational-aware IVR 530includes an IVR server 533, an IVR CCM (Contact Context Manager)interface server 538, an interaction script engine 535, and an IVR rulesengine 536. The situational-aware IVR 530 obtains contextual informationfrom external systems 580. Additionally, the situational-aware IVR 530interacts with a contact context manager 540, which in turn receivesAPIs from carrier VoIP provider analytics 550. The situational-aware IVR530 also interacts with an existing customer profile database 560 andenterprise call center internal customer data/business processes 570.The contact context manager 540 includes a CCM interface server 546 forinteracting with the situational-aware IVR 530.

In FIG. 5, contextual data is received from an enriched sessioninitiation protocol message by the situational-aware IVR 530. Atelecommunication company's VoIP network 501 can deliver the enrichedsession initiation protocol message to the IVR server 533. Thecontextual information in the session initiation protocol message headeris extracted by the IVR server 533 to be used in caller interaction.Additionally, names and/or numbers in the session initiation protocolmessage can be forwarded to the CCM interface server 546 of the contactcontext manager 540 via the IVR CCM interface server 538. The namesand/or numbers or other identifying information can be used to retrievea context record for the caller from the CCM interface server 546. TheIVR CCM interface server 538 can then request that the contact contextmanager 540 provide a complete context record on the caller. In thisway, even based caller identification information can be used toretrieve a complete context record for a caller.

In FIG. 5, contextual data is also received as a context record directlyfrom a contact context manager 540. A context record is forwarded to theIVR CCM interface server 538 upon request from situational-aware IVR530. If there is no existing context record for the customer, thecontact context manager 540 may generate a new context record fromavailable information. The IVR rules engine 536 receives the contextrecord to be used to invoke a rule to a) prioritize important contextattributes in a context record, and/or b) provide instructions todifferentiate the treatment of a customer. Examples of instructions fordifferentiated treatment would be how to deal with customers withnumerous contacts history or how to deal with an annoyed customer.

Based on information received from the caller during IVR interaction,the IVR rules engine 536 may request data from a backend businessprocess system, such as the assurance, billing, provisioning or orderprocesses shown for the enterprise call center internal customerdata/business processes 570. While waiting for a response, the IVR rulesengine 536 can provide “relevant” contextual data and script decisionsto the interaction script engine 535. The interaction script engine 535can then formulate an initial response for use by the IVR server 533 tointeract initially with the customer. The IVR server 533 can play agreeting set by the communication script selected for the caller. Oncethe caller identification is completed, the interaction script engine535 can formulate additional responses to provide to the IVR server 533with updates from the IVR rules engine 536. The IVR server 533 thenplays interactive communication scripts for the caller, and then getsadditional/updated contextual data based on additional informationprovided by the customer.

In FIG. 5, the situational-aware IVR 530 can be sure if the callermatches a contextual record. In this way, the situational-aware IVR 530can obtain voice biometrics, passwords, birthdays, names, personalidentification information, caller identification information, or otherforms of data to authenticate a caller and try to ensure that privacyinformation is not released incidentally to other parties.

In FIG. 5, the IVR server 533 conducts smart IVR caller interactionusing the interaction script engine 535. The interaction script engineoffers static scripts or dynamically-selected and/or dynamically-updatedscripts to the IVR server 533 based on directions and data from the IVRrules engine 536. The IVR rules engine 536 will receive, with or withoutrequesting, contextual dataset from the contact context manager 540 viathe IVR CCM interface server 538. The IVR rules engine 536 will alsofetch account related information from downstream systems when needed.The contextual dataset coupled with any instructions from the caller anddata fetched from downstream systems will allow the IVR rules engine 536to direct the interaction script engine 535 play static scripts ordynamically selected/altered scripts.

As described in FIG. 5, the IVR CCM interface server 538 will receivecontextual data from the contact context manager and pass the contextualdata to the rules engine 536, so that ultimately the contextual data isused to select and/or update a script.

As described, the systems in FIGS. 3-5 may include the situational-awareIVR 330, 430, 530 that receives a session initiation protocol messageenriched by the SIP enrichment sub-system 320, 420, 520. Immediatelyafterwards, the situational-aware IVR 330, 430, 530 can send a real timerequest to the contact context manager 340, 440 540 for a contextrecord. The context record may be a record composed only of datainternal to a service provider, such as a record from purchases,complaints, call records, etc. Alternatively, the context record mayinclude other information derived from external sources.

Also as described, the carrier VoIP provider analytics 350, 450, 550 canbe used by a communication carrier to provide a rich library ofcontextual and customer data APIs. Parts of the contextual recordprovided from analytics can be obtained from Big Data, such as targetedadvertisements that may be presented to the user while the user is onhold or waiting for interactions to start or continue.

Additionally, though embodiments described herein mainly describe aone-time retrieval of context information, some context information maybe continually updated and received from a user device, such as when auser is using a mobile device in a crowded urban area or in a fastmoving car. In this way, the situational-aware IVRs 330, 430, 530 canreceive updated information from the user's device via additionalsession initiation protocol messages from SIP enrichment sub-systems320, 420, 520. Of course, the updated information from the user's devicemay be sent to the contact context manager 340, 440, 540 instead of thesituational-aware IVRs 330, 430, 530, such as when the contact contextmanager 340, 440, 540 will check the updated information for relevanceand only provide the updated information for use in updating a scriptwhen the updated information is relevant to the call. Indeed, when theupdated information is not particularly relevant, the contact contextmanager 340, 440, 540 or the situational-aware IVRs 330, 430, 530 maysend a message back to the user device instructing the user device thatno further updates are particularly warranted.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary communication flow for informationalenrichment for interactive systems, according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure. In FIG. 6, a session initiation protocol message issent from a user device to and through a service provider network 601.Ultimately the session initiation protocol message is sent to a SIPenrichment server 620, and a call is set up so that the call can be madebetween the user and an enterprise call center PBX 699. The enterprisecall center PBX 699 requests context information and instructions from acontact context manager 640 while the enterprise call center PBX 699 isholding the call before sending the call to a situational-aware IVRserver 633. Once proper context information is obtained, the informationis provided to the enterprise call center PBX 699. The call is thentransferred from the enterprise call center PBX 699 to thesituational-aware IVR server 633, which refers to an IVR rule engine 636in order to obtain instructions for a script to select or update basedon the contextual information provided to the contact context manager640. The call is continued and completed between the user and thesituational-aware IVR server 633 based on the contextual informationprovided via the SIP enrichment server 620 and any selected and/ormodified script that is selected and/or modified based on the IVR ruleengine 636.

A situational-aware IVR 530 includes and provides both conventional andmodified features. The call processing logic that defines how a call isprocessed by the situational-aware IVR 530 is defined in the form of ahierarchical decision tree and a set of rules that guides the navigationof the tree and IVR/caller interaction. The remaining filtered subset ofthe context record may include, for example, a called party number and acalling party number or other types of communication addressidentifiers. The remaining filtered subset of the context record can beused to start the interaction process, and may include authenticationinteractions and greeting interactions.

An initial (root) menu item can be selected for the particular incomingcall according to the called party number and the calling party number.The initial (root) menu item may be a set of selections to present tothe caller, and may be selected for initial presentation based on thecontext record. The situational-aware IVR 530 can start addressing thefirst major event in the customer domain. Examples of a major event thatmay be prioritized include a previous technical issue, a major outage ina subscriber's area, or a latest billing dispute reported by thecustomer. These possibilities may be presented to the caller in a singlecontinuous presentation at a menu node, or may be presented to thecaller sequentially in different nodes. The caller is asked by thesituational-aware IVR 530 if the call is related to any of these majorevents.

Subsequent processing of the incoming call can be defined as thesequence of steps between the nodes of the decision tree based oninformation entered by the subscriber allowing the subscriber tonavigate. Subsequent interaction may depend on the service beingaccessed. For example when an account balance inquiry from is processed,the subscriber may already have been authenticated to access balanceinformation. If the subscriber accesses the service from thesubscriber's own phone, the balance information can be retrieved from abilling database and transferred to the subscriber as data automaticallywithout any additional action from the subscriber.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary system for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.In FIG. 7, an IVR rule engine 736 processes a set of contextualinformation to assist an IVR server 733 in interacting with the user.For example, an introduction of “Hello Mr. Smith” may be provided by theIVR server 733 based on known retrievable contextual information thatindicates the caller's name and address.

As noted previously, an initial contextual record can be retrieved basedon a calling party telephone number. The contextual record may includesome information which is not particularly used, such as “where is thecaller calling from”. Individual prompts may be selected or modifiedbased on information in the contextual record. For example, a defaultprompt in a script may be “thank you for using our service”, whereascontextual information indicating a particular service may allowmodification of the default prompt to specify “thank you for using” aparticular identified service. Context information may also come fromgeneral information that applies to multiple customers/subscribers, sucha geographical service outage in multiple areas. A check of thesubscriber's location or account number may be used to compare thesubscriber's information against known outages, and a prompt may beselected to ask the caller if the caller is calling about a particularknown outage. As noted, the particular prompt may be selected andpresented based on a determination of the most likely reasons a calleris calling, or based on other information from a context record used ina dynamic determination.

In FIG. 7, each identification of a potential reason for the call mayresult in a different prompt being selected and presented to the caller.Alternatively, more than one but less than all identifications mayresult in a prompt being selected and presented to the caller. As shownin FIG. 7, specific determinations based on service provider contextualinformation may include checks for outages, technical issues, orcustomer-specific account or billing issues. Identification of anyparticular issues from the service provider's contextual informationrecords may result in a corresponding prompt being selected andpresented. In FIG. 7, such prompts include “I see we have a serviceissue impacting you. Is that why you are calling?” and “I see a billingdispute from you via email. Do you want us to address that?”. As shownin FIG. 7, responses to particular questions presented as prompts mayresult in which particular prompt is played subsequently to a caller.Thus, when a caller responds “no” to the outage/technical issuesquestion, the next prompt may be played without addressing the knownoutage or technical issues any further.

In FIG. 7, the prompts that are actually selected and presented arepresented by the IVR server 733. As is known conventionally, the IVRserver 733 may complete a call by providing all requested information tothe caller, or the IVR server 733 may transfer a call to a human agent.When a call is transferred, information from the interactions betweenthe user and the IVR server 733 may also be provided to the human agent.The interaction information may include a decision tree graphic withinformation for each node that has already been navigated and answered.Therefore, a human agent may pick up in a script where an IVR server 733leaves off. Additionally, as shown on the bottom of FIG. 7, the IVRserver 733 may communicate with landline callers or mobile/wirelesscallers. Devices used by a caller to communicate with an IVR server 733are of course not limited to traditional telephony devices (phones), butmay also include desktops and laptops, and interactive internet-enabledtelevisions.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.The process shown in FIG. 8 is generally described best with the systemshown in FIG. 3. At 5805, a call is intercepted. At S810, the sessioninitiation protocol message for the call is forwarded to a callinterceptor at the session initiation protocol-Enrichment Subsystem. Thesession initiation protocol message is parsed at S815. Calling partyinformation is extracted from the session initiation protocol message at5820. The calling party information is passed to the session initiationprotocol rule engine at 5825. The calling party information is used togenerate contextual data for session initiation protocol EnrichmentS830. Contextual data is passed and stored for session initiationprotocol enrichment data in a database at 5835. The session initiationprotocol enrichment data is made retrievable or associated with aretrievable communication address (e.g., URL) at S840. The sessioninitiation protocol message is enriched by inserting the sessioninitiation protocol enrichment data or the retrievable communicationaddress and contextual data into the session initiation protocol messageheader at S845. The enriched session initiation protocol message isforwarded to a service provider at S850. The call is forwarded to acontact center and IVR at S855. The session initiation protocolenrichment data or the communication address and contextual data areretrieved from the session initiation protocol message header at S860.Although not shown, if a retrievable communication address is providedin the header, a request to obtain the information from the retrievablecommunication address may be sent in order to retrieve the enrichmentdata or contextual data. The session initiation protocol enrichment dataor contextual data in the header is analyzed at S865. At S870, an IVRscript is identified and/or modified cased on the session initiationprotocol enrichment data or contextual data.

FIG. 9 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.The process shown in FIG. 9 is generally described best with the systemshown in FIG. 4. As described, in FIG. 9 a contact context managergenerate an initial context record based on existing customer data andan customer profile in an enterprise call center database. The contactcontext manager may also receive additional customer contextual datafrom external sources. An example of receiving additional customercontextual information is receiving customer data from atelecommunication service provider, such as telecommunication VoIPservice provider.

A contact context manager in FIG. 9 collects and processes explicit andderived contextual data, and generates the initial context record (CR).The contact context manager collects and processes all customercontextual data and can generate a context record for every customerassociated with an enterprise call center. The initial context recordwill be created and stored in context record generator sub-system.Whenever a caller contacts a call center, the caller's identification isderived from a session initiation protocol message and sent to thecontact context manager to obtain the customer context record. Theprocess of obtaining the context record is described next.

At S905, context data is collected from external sources. Externalsources can include a telecommunication VoIP service provider's big dataanalytic APIs, as well as context data from other sources such as socialnetworks, weather sources, search engines, and data sources that providepersonal data to companies as a service for a fee.

At S910, customer data from an internal enterprise call center source iscollected. Such customer data can include customer profile data, contacthistory, subscriptions, purchases, complaints, authorized users, usagehistory such as for a wireless carrier, and historical data of how acustomer is provided service by a service provider.

The collected data is stored in a contact context manager database atS915, and at S920 the contact context manager database forwards the datafor filtering or the data is retrieved from the contact context managerdatabase. The contact context manager then filters irrelevant data andforwards retained data for enhancement at S925. At S930, an initialcontext record for the customer is generated at S930.

As noted, an initial context record may be later updated based onsession initiation protocol message enriched data. For example, a callerusing a device belonging to another party may initially have a contextrecord retrieved that belongs to the other party. In such acircumstance, the context record should be updated in order to provideproper services to the party who is borrowing the device from anotherparty. The context record can be updated based on information from thecaller directly. Similar to the manner in which individuals can providea phone number to a clerk at some retail establishments, a phone numberor other form of personal account identifier can be provided by anindividual at the beginning of a call in order for the individual toobtain the benefit of the contact context enhancements described herein.Callers or website visitors may even be asked explicitly at thebeginning of a communication if they would like to provide a phonenumber or other identifier associated with them personally or with aparticular account. In an embodiment, a caller or website visitor may beprovided the option to provide the alternative identifier before aninteractive session begins.

One way in which the session initiation protocol message can be modifiedaccording to the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism toindicate that the caller's context information corresponds to anothertelephone number or other communication address or unique identifier. Aphone switch or router can be modified to parse input called numbers sothat information provided after a pound sign is accepted as analternative number belonging to the caller, or another originatingaddress or other unique identifier. An example in VoIP would be if anumber 8008666666 is registered in a database as a dialed number to beintercepted. When a particular user corresponding to a first contextrecord calls from a communication device associated with a differentuser and different context record, the particular user can dial8008666666#(alternative number), such as 8008666666#5104312222. Here,the last ten digits after the pound (#) sign could indicate theparticular user's actual telephone number or other originating addressor other unique identifier. The session initiation protocolinfrastructure can then parse strings without truncation, and the SIPinterceptor can use the last 10 digits to retrieve the context recordcorresponding to the 10 digits after the pound sign. That is, the phoneswitch or router or equivalent can be modified to use the charactersafter the pound sign to identify a context record for a caller. Further,if the particular user is using a computer to enter the 8006666666 for aVoIP call, the user may have the liberty to enter anything after the #which includes but is not limited to an account number such as AC93456,an IP address such as 123.12.12.123, a phone number, etc.

The context record generator then waits for a request from thesituational-aware IVR to forward the context record to thesituational-aware IVR via an IVR interface upon receiving a request fromthe situational-aware IVR. When an incoming session initiation protocolmessage is received, the session initiation protocol message providescontext data to be delivered to the contact context manager IVRinterface Server at S935. The context record is then forwarded to thecontact context manager.

The existing context record is updated with the session initiationprotocol message information enhancement data at S940, and the updatedcontext record is forwarded to the situational-aware IVR at 5945 for usein caller interaction. If there is no existing context record for thecustomer, the contact context manager will create a context record withthe session initiation protocol message provided data for the caller,and the situational-aware IVR will be informed. As noted previously, thesession initiation protocol message enhancement data may be a URL, inwhich case the URL may point to a web address that shows a most recentcaller location and environment. In any event, the session initiationprotocol message enhancement data will be incorporated to the contextrecord.

At S950, the updated context record is analyzed, and at S955, a scriptwill be selected and/or modified based on the updated context recordanalyzed at S950. Services are then provided in accordance with theselected and/or modified script.

FIG. 10 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.The process shown in FIG. 10 is generally described best with the systemshown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 10, enrichment data is received at an IVR atS1005. At S1010, identification data is obtained from the enrichmentdata. At S1015, the identification data is used to obtain a contextrecord. The context record at S1015 is an existing record prepared forthe customer before the call was ever received. At S1020, the contextrecord is analyzed, and at S1025 an IVR script is identified and/ormodified based on contextual data from the context record. FIG. 10 thusserves as an overview of the operations of a situational-aware IVRdescribed herein.

FIG. 11 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.In FIG. 11, a call is received at S1105, and a context record isrequested from a context manager at S1110. At S1115, an IVR rules engineuses the context record to invoke rules to modify a script or select ascript specifically based on preexisting rules used by the IVR rulesengine for calls from different callers. The rules invoked by the IVRrules engine are not special rules used only for a caller; rather,treatment for a caller is customized based on how the rules are appliedfor the particular context record corresponding to the caller. At S1120,supplemental context information is obtained dynamically during a callbased on information received during the call, and at S1125 the scriptis updated during the call based on the supplemental context informationobtained during the call. Thus, in FIG. 11 context information that isinformation not directly obtained from interaction with the caller isobtained and used by a situational-aware IVR to modify the scriptalready selected and being used to interact with the caller. Asdescribed herein, circumstances that would warrant updating a scriptalready being used include when a caller is in a dense urban environmentthat is crowded with businesses or other people, or when a caller ismoving in a car. The environmental information may include noise levels,information pertinent to the changing locations such as nearby foodstores or safe places or open businesses or gas stations, or may simplybe updated driving directions for how to get from one place to another.

FIG. 12 shows another exemplary process for informational enrichment forinteractive systems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure.In FIG. 12, a session initiation protocol message is received at S1205,information in the session initiation protocol message is retrieved atS1210, and the information retrieved from the session initiationprotocol message is modified at S1215. As described herein, the actionsperformed at S1205, S1210 and S1215 are consistent with actionsperformed by a SIP enrichment sub-system 320, 420 or 520. Additionally,at S1220, the modified information is inserted into the sessioninitiation protocol message, and at S1225 the modified (enriched)session initiation protocol message is routed back to the path towardsits original destination.

At the destination, a script is identified and/or modified based on thereceived session initiation protocol message at S1230. An interactiveservice is provided at S1235. Analytics results are obtained from anexternal source at 51240, and supplemental content is provided to thecaller based on the analytics results and while providing theinteractive service.

In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the analytics results may suggest contentsuch as advertisements or information to provide to the caller. Forexample, based on even just the contextual information provided in theinitial session initiation protocol message, a location or gender of acaller can be quickly derived from many calling party numbers andcustomer names. This information can be used to match the call withcontent suggested based on analytics performed by, for example, acommunication service provider, and the content can be played to thecaller during pauses and holds in the call.

Further, although not illustrated, a contact center may also sendcontent back to a calling device via a session initiation protocolmessage. For example, an executable instruction directing a callingdevice to a particular website may be provided back to the calling partydevice from the contact center. Thus, informational enrichment can beprovided both ways in the manner described herein. The customer devicecan parse and retrieve any such executable instructions received in asession initiation protocol message from a contactcenter/situational-aware IVR.

The outbound session initiation protocol message can be used, forexample, when a contact center needs to re-contact a customer such as toinform the customer that a complaint is resolved or help is on the way.If the customer is too busy or does not answer, a session initiationprotocol message can be enriched so that a text or a short messageservice (SMS) message is sent to the customer based on information inthe enriched session initiation protocol message.

In another example, a notification may be sent back to a customer afteran IVR/agent session is complete. The mechanisms for reporting includeemail, SMS, call back and so on. When the IVR/agent calls back, theIVR/agent can ask the SIP enrichment sub-system service to enrich asession initiation protocol message header/body with textualinformation. Therefore, when the call is received by the customerdevice, the embedded textual information can be extracted from thesession initiation protocol message header/body. The extractedinformation may be, for example, a voice attachment.

A use for the situational-aware IVR may be for an existing customer whocalls a contact center by either a landline or a mobile/cellular device.As described herein, the initial session initiation protocol message isenriched and routed to a PBX/ACD of an enterprise call center. ThePBX/ACD then routes the call itself to the situational-aware IVR, whichthen uses session initiation protocol contextual data to identify andgreet the customer. The situational aware IVR can also forward thecontextual data to a contact context manager to retrieve an existingcontext record, and the contact context manager will then incorporatethe new session initiation protocol message context data into theexisting context record before returning the updated context record backto the situational aware IVR. The IVR rules engine then invokes rules todetermine the appropriate voice response to select and/or modify basedon the updated context record.

Another use case for the situational aware IVR is for a new customer,where the enriched session initiation protocol message is used toidentify and greet the customer, but then also used to create a newcontext record for the customer since no context record exists. Thecontext record can be later updated using additional context informationderived from the various sources described herein. The new contextrecord in this use case is used to invoke rules to select and/or modifya script of voice responses based on the context record.

Accordingly, informational enrichment for interactive systems enables asituational aware IVR system to reduce or eliminate processing time. Thetime saved or eliminated may be time that would be spent by a humanagent to collect information or resolve a concern. For example, if 10%of call time and calls are eliminated for the informational enrichmentfor interactive systems described herein, it may translate intothousands of calls per day and millions of dollars per year for ahigh-volume call recipient. Additionally, the enhanced processing alsocan help reduce hold times as calls are processed faster due to lesstime being spent by agents and IVR systems collecting information thatcan be obtained before calls are received or while calls are beingprocessed. Use of the systems described herein can improve net promoterscores, quality of (user) experiences, first call resolutions, andtransfer rates.

Although informational enrichment for interactive systems has beendescribed with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it isunderstood that the words that have been used are words of descriptionand illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be madewithin the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and asamended, without departing from the scope and spirit of informationalenrichment for interactive systems in its aspects. Althoughinformational enrichment for interactive systems has been described withreference to particular means, materials and embodiments, informationalenrichment for interactive systems is not intended to be limited to theparticulars disclosed; rather informational enrichment for interactivesystems extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods, anduses such as are within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, informational enrichment for interactive systems is mainlydescribed as using contextual information inserted into an interceptedsession initiation protocol message. However, contextual information mayalso be retrieved based on a marker inserted into a session initiationprotocol message, rather than information directly that is entirelyplaced into a session initiation protocol message. For example, anexecutable uniform resource locator (URL) address may be placed into asession initiation protocol message. Alternatively, the insertedinformation may be coded information that can be decoded and expanded ator by the situational-aware IVR, such as binary values to indicatemale/female, race or ethnicity, religion, age, marital status, whether acaller is a customer or not, whether the caller has an ongoing complaintthat has already been registered, and so on.

Additionally, while session initiation protocol has been specified asthe message protocol used herein, any alternative message with a similarpurpose and function can be used in the same manner as sessioninitiation protocol messages. Such messages should be first sent andreceived before communications occur between a user and an interactivesystem such as an IVR, but otherwise alternative forms of electronicmessages can be used in order to obtain the same results as describedherein. Such messages are also not limited to internet protocol (IP)based networks, and can be used in networks that use other types ofcommunication protocols.

While the computer-readable medium is shown to be a single medium, theterm “computer-readable medium” includes a single medium or multiplemedia, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/or associatedcaches and servers that store one or more sets of instructions. The term“computer-readable medium” shall also include any medium that is capableof storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution bya processor or that cause a computer system to perform any one or moreof the methods or operations disclosed herein.

In a particular non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, thecomputer-readable medium can include a solid-state memory such as amemory card or other package that houses one or more non-volatileread-only memories. Further, the computer-readable medium can be arandom access memory or other volatile re-writable memory. Additionally,the computer-readable medium can include a magneto-optical or opticalmedium, such as a disk or tapes or other storage device to capturecarrier wave signals such as a signal communicated over a transmissionmedium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include anycomputer-readable medium or other equivalents and successor media, inwhich data or instructions may be stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsthat may be implemented in particular embodiments with reference toparticular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited tosuch standards and protocols. For example, standards noted herein mayrepresent examples of the state of the art. Such standards areperiodically superseded by re efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same or similar functions are considered equivalents thereof.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of the disclosuredescribed herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those ofskill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may beutilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural andlogical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from thescope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merelyrepresentational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportionswithin the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions maybe minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to beregarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein,individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely forconvenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of thisapplication to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover,although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangementdesigned to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted forthe specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover anyand all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the description.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a methodincludes intercepting a session initiation protocol message used toinitiate a bidirectional communication and in transit to a networkedrecipient computer that provides interactive services for thebidirectional communication to be initiated. The method also includesobtaining, based on information in the session initiation protocolmessage, supplemental information to provide to the networked recipientcomputer of the bidirectional communication to be initiated. The methodfurther includes inserting, using a computer processor of anintermediary computer, the supplemental information into the sessioninitiation protocol message, and routing the session initiation protocolmessage with the supplemental information inserted to the networkedrecipient computer that provides the interactive services for thebidirectional communication to be initiated.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodalso includes providing the interactive services to a party initiatingthe bidirectional communication. The supplemental information includescontextual information descriptive of the party initiating thecommunication.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, theinteractive services include IVR services. The IVR services are variedbased on the supplemental information, so that interactive servicesprovided to the party initiating the bidirectional communication differfrom interactive services provided to another party based solely ondifferences in supplemental information provided for communicationsinitiated by the party initiating the bidirectional communication andthe another party.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, themethod further includes providing the interactive services to a partyinitiating the bidirectional communication. The supplemental informationinclude a location of the party initiating the bidirectionalcommunication.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodalso includes providing the interactive services to a party initiatingthe bidirectional communication. The supplemental information includesinformation derived from a history of interactions between the partyinitiating the bidirectional communication and a system that includesthe networked recipient computer that provides the interactive services.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, thesupplemental information is inserted into a header of the sessioninitiation protocol message. The supplemental information may be smallenough to include entirely in the header of a session initiationprotocol message. However, the information provided in the header mayinclude a marker or even an address to indicate another place where thesupplemental information can be found. A marker in the header mayindicate that context data can be found in the message body of thesession initiation protocol message body. Further, truly large amountsof context data may be provided at an executable address placed in theheader of the session initiation protocol message. A uniform resourcelocator (URL) can be used when the contextual data is dynamic inaddition to when the contextual data is voluminous. As a result, acontext manager can retrieve the contextual data as frequently as neededusing the uniform resource locator associated with a particular party oraccount.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, thesession initiation protocol message is intercepted in atelecommunication provider network, supplemented in a session initiationprotocol enrichment sub-system, and returned to the telecommunicationprovider network before reaching the networked recipient computer thatprovides the interactive services.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the sessioninitiation protocol enrichment sub-system includes a rule engine thatuses predetermined rules to determine what supplemental information toinsert into the session initiation protocol message.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodalso includes providing the interactive services to a party initiatingthe bidirectional communication. The method further includes updatingthe networked recipient computer that provides the interactive services,while the networked recipient computer provides the interactiveservices, with additional supplemental information obtained after thesession initiation message is provided to the networked recipientcomputer.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, themethod further includes obtaining an analytics result from atelecommunication provider network by which the session initiationprotocol message is provided. The method also includes providingsupplemental content based on the analytics result from the networkedinteractive computer to a party initiating the bidirectionalcommunication.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodalso includes sending an enriched session initiation protocol messageback to a device used by a party to initiate the bidirectionalcommunication.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodalso includes supplementing an existing context record for a partyinitiating the bidirectional communication with the supplementalinformation inserted into the session initiation protocol message.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, themethod further includes updating an existing script for the interactiveservices based on the context record supplemented with the supplementalinformation.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the methodalso includes updating an existing script for the interactive servicesbased on the supplemental information inserted into the sessioninitiation protocol message.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a computerapparatus includes a memory that stores instructions, and a processorthat executes the instructions. When executed by the processor, theinstructions cause the processor to perform operations includingintercepting a session initiation protocol message used to initiate abidirectional communication and in transit to a networked recipientcomputer that provides interactive services for the bidirectionalcommunication to be initiated. The operations also include obtaining,based on information in the session initiation protocol message,supplemental information to provide to the networked recipient computerof the bidirectional communication to be initiated. The operationsfurther include inserting the supplemental information into the sessioninitiation protocol message, and routing the session initiation protocolmessage with the supplemental information inserted to the networkedrecipient computer that provides the interactive services for thebidirectional communication to be initiated.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, thecomputer apparatus is an element in a session initiation protocolenrichment subsystem intermediate to the network computer that providesthe interactive services and a party initiating the bidirectionalcommunication.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the sessioninitiation protocol enrichment sub-system receives the sessioninitiation protocol message from a telecommunication provider network,and returns the session initiation protocol message with thesupplemental information to the telecommunication provider network forrouting to the networked recipient computer.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, theprocessor includes a call interceptor that intercepts the bidirectionalcommunication and decomposes the session initiation protocol message.The computer apparatus further includes a session initiation protocolmessage generator that regenerates the session initiation protocolmessage with the supplemental information, and provides the sessioninitiation protocol message regenerated for distribution back to thetelecommunication provider network.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, thecomputer apparatus further includes a session initiation protocol ruleengine that determines rules for supplementing the session initiationprotocol message with supplemental content; and a database that storesthe rules for supplementing the session initiation protocol message.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a tangiblecomputer readable storage medium stores a computer program. The computerprogram, when executed by a processor, causes a computer apparatus toperform a process that includes intercepting a session initiationprotocol message used to initiate a bidirectional communication and intransit to a networked recipient computer that provides interactiveservices for the bidirectional communication to be initiated. Theprocess also includes obtaining, based on information in the sessioninitiation protocol message, supplemental information to provide to thenetworked recipient computer of the bidirectional communication to beinitiated. The process further includes inserting, using a computerprocessor of an intermediary computer, the supplemental information intothe session initiation protocol message, and routing the sessioninitiation protocol message with the supplemental information insertedto the networked recipient computer that provides the interactiveservices for the bidirectional communication to be initiated.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not beused to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Inaddition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may begrouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose ofstreamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed toless than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus,the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as defining separately claimedsubject matter.

The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the presentdisclosure. As such, the above disclosed subject matter is to beconsidered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claimsare intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and otherembodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of thepresent disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissibleinterpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shallnot be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: intercepting, in atelecommunications network, a session initiation protocol message usedto initiate a communication, the session initiation protocol messagebeing intercepted prior to terminating at a recipient computerconfigured to provide interactive services for the communication;determining, based on predetermined rules, supplemental information toprovide to the recipient computer of the communication to be initiated;inserting, using a computer processor of an intermediary computer, thesupplemental information into the session initiation protocol messageprior to the terminating at the recipient computer; and routing thesession initiation protocol message with the supplemental information tothe recipient computer that provides the interactive services for thecommunication, wherein the interactive services are provided based atleast in part on the supplemental information, and wherein the sessioninitiation protocol message is supplemented and returned to thetelecommunications network before reaching the recipient computer thatprovides the interactive services.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing the interactive services to a party initiating thecommunication, wherein the supplemental information comprises contextualinformation regarding an item acquired by the party initiating thecommunication.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactiveservices comprise interactive web response services, and wherein theinteractive web response services are varied based on the supplementalinformation, so that the interactive web response services provided tothe party initiating the communication differ from interactive webresponse services provided to another party based solely on differencesin the supplemental information provided for communications initiated bythe party initiating the communication and the another party.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: providing the interactiveservices to a party initiating the communication, wherein thesupplemental information comprises information descriptive of a locationof the party initiating the communication.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising: providing the interactive services to a partyinitiating the communication, wherein the supplemental informationcomprises information derived from a history of interactions between theparty initiating the communication and the recipient computer thatprovides the interactive services.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thesupplemental information is inserted into a header of the sessioninitiation protocol message.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining, with a session initiation protocol rulesengine, the predetermined rules for supplementing the session initiationprotocol message with the supplemental information.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, further comprising: storing, in a database, the predeterminedrules for supplementing the session initiation protocol message.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: providing the interactiveservices to a party initiating the communication; and updating, duringthe communication, the recipient computer with additional supplementalinformation obtained after the session initiation protocol message isprovided to the recipient computer.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing the interactive services to a party initiating thecommunication; and updating the recipient computer that provides theinteractive services, while the recipient computer provides theinteractive services, with additional supplemental information obtainedafter the session initiation protocol message is provided to therecipient computer.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:obtaining an analytics result from the telecommunications network bywhich the session initiation protocol message is provided; and providingthe supplemental information based on the analytics result from therecipient computer to the party initiating the communication.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: sending an enriched sessioninitiation protocol message back to a device used by a party to initiatethe communication.
 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:supplementing an existing context record for a party initiating thecommunication with the supplemental information inserted into thesession initiation protocol message.
 14. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising: updating an existing script for the interactive servicesbased on the existing context record supplemented with the supplementalinformation.
 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating anexisting script for the interactive services based on the supplementalinformation inserted into the session initiation protocol message.
 16. Acomputer apparatus, comprising: a memory that stores instructions, and aprocessor that executes the instructions, wherein, when executed by theprocessor, the instructions cause the processor to perform operationscomprising: intercepting, in a telecommunications network, a sessioninitiation protocol message used to initiate a communication, thesession initiation protocol message being intercepted prior toterminating at a recipient computer configured to provide interactiveservices for the communication; determining, based on predeterminedrules, supplemental information to provide to the recipient computer ofthe communication; inserting the supplemental information into thesession initiation protocol message prior to the terminating at therecipient computer; and routing the session initiation protocol messagewith the supplemental information to the recipient computer thatprovides the interactive services for the communication, wherein theinteractive services are provided based at least in part on thesupplemental information, and wherein the session initiation protocolmessage is supplemented and returned to the telecommunications networkbefore reaching the recipient computer that provides the interactiveservices.
 17. The computer apparatus of claim 16, wherein the computerapparatus is a node in a session initiation protocol enrichmentsub-system intermediate to the recipient computer that provides theinteractive services and a party initiating the communication.
 18. Thecomputer apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: a session initiationprotocol rules engine that determines the predetermined rules forsupplementing the session initiation protocol message with thesupplemental information.
 19. The computer apparatus of claim 16,wherein the processor comprises a call interceptor that intercepts thecommunication and decomposes the session initiation protocol message,and wherein the computer apparatus further comprises a sessioninitiation protocol message generator that regenerates the sessioninitiation protocol message with the supplemental information, andprovides the session initiation protocol message regenerated fordistribution back to the telecommunications network.
 20. Anon-transitory computer readable storage medium having executablecomputer-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by aprocessor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:intercepting, in a telecommunications network, a session initiationprotocol message used to initiate a communication, the sessioninitiation protocol message being intercepted prior to terminating at arecipient computer configured to provide interactive services for thecommunication; determining, based on predetermined rules, supplementalinformation to provide to the recipient computer of the communication;inserting the supplemental information into the session initiationprotocol message prior to the terminating at the recipient computer; androuting the session initiation protocol message with the supplementalinformation to the recipient computer that provides the interactiveservices for the communication, wherein the interactive services areprovided based at least in part on the supplemental information, andwherein the session initiation protocol message is supplemented andreturned to the telecommunications network before reaching the recipientcomputer that provides the interactive services.